3 Months Notice
by Gleefulbabe
Summary: Rachel gets some shocking news after she hasn't spoken to Bruce for nearly three months. What will she do?  Set as if Rachel didn't die in TDK
1. Chapter 1

**Ok so here's my first ever fanfiction! Just to let you know, this story is set as if Rachel didn't die in The Dark Knight. It's my first time so please excuse any mistakes. Let me know what you think. May be more to come.**

Rachel Dawes sat on her bathroom floor miserably. After Harvey had died she was a bit messed up to say the least but could she blame that for her running into the arms of Bruce Wayne as quick as she could? They had kissed before outside the ruins of Wayne Manor after the incident with Dr. Crane but that was where it ended, although she still haboured feelings for him just as much as he did her. She kept those feelings at bay for a long time but one lapse of restraint and they came flooding back, just when she was at her weakest. That night with Bruce had been amazing but the next day she told him that it was a mistake; that she was upset and not thinking clearly, but she still loved him, more than anything on the planet but Rachel told him that they would never be together unless Batman was gone for good; and Bruce was not ready to let that go yet. They had barely spoken ever since. That was then, and to say her opinion had changed considerably now would be an understatement. The truth was, Rachel Dawes knew she was in trouble as she waited for the results of the pregnancy test that she had taken a minute or so ago. She already knew what the result would be but couldn't help but hope for a negative result though the chances of that seemed slim to none. Rachel's job in the D.A's office was extremely stressful, so she thought nothing of it when she missed her period two months in a row, but when the third month came around she knew there was something wrong. She had also started to feel ill and was gaining a lot of weight recently and that led her to buy the home pregnancy test that was now torturing her. Looking at her watch, Rachel saw the time was up and reached half-heartedly to grab the little white stick. She shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath before opening one of them to see the result. As soon as she did Rachel sighed wearily. She wanted to scream every curse word known to man when she laid her eyes on the small pink "+" in the indicator screen of the test. Rachel Dawes was definitely pregnant and the father was none other than her best friend Bruce Wayne (A.K.A Batman!). Then something weird happened; she actually smiled for a minute. That smile didn't last long though when Rachel realised that she would have to tell Bruce that she's having his baby, she would never be able to have an abortion. There was another option though: Rachel could pack up all her things and move to another city. She quickly laughed at herself for even thinking that, to flee Gotham just because she was pregnant seemed more than a little rash. No, Rachel was going to have to tell Bruce sooner or later, but she couldn't just arrive over to his house and break the news to him when they hadn't spoken properly in nearly three months. That would be insensitive. Instead, she decided to start making her way back into his life again little by little.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Rachel got in her car and drove to Wayne Manor. She hadn't told Bruce she was coming, if she did she was sure she would have chickened out. She definitely wasn't going to tell Bruce about the baby today, she knew that but she was going to become a part of his life again, just as he wanted. Bruce had sent Rachel multiple texts and left loads of voicemails but she hadn't replied to any of them. She had felt bad about not replying, Bruce probably thought she was angry with him because of that night but she wasn't; she was the opposite of angry. Rachel didn't reply to Bruce's attempts at communication because she was mad at herself. She thought she was weak for sleeping with him, she had controlled her feelings for so long and then in a moment of weakness she had let them all come to a head. Rachel Dawes did not want to love Bruce Wayne; how could she? He was out every night fighting criminals as a masked vigilante and despite popular belief he was not invincible; that was the problem. How could she admit to loving him when it would only mean that she would live in a constant fear that he wouldn't come home.

Rachel was so lost in thought that she almost missed the turn for Wayne Manor. She got all her thoughts together and tried to concentrate as she drove drown the very familiar road up to the house. She hadn't seen it since it had been renovated after it was burnt down by Ra's al Ghul in a fight with Bruce after his birthday party. Rachel couldn't believe her eyes when the trees thinned and she set her eyes on Wayne Manor. If she hadn't seen the ruins with her own eyes, she would have never believed that there was a fire in the first place. It looked just as it had ever since she had started hanging around with Bruce when they were very young. If anything, it just looked liked the bricks had been cleaned and the paint re-done.

Rachel got out of the her car and made her way up the steps to the front door. She tried to compose herself so Bruce and Alfred wouldn't suspect anything. She rang the doorbell and waited patiently. A couple of seconds later someone came to open it.

Alfred's eyes widened when he saw her standing there. "Ms. Dawes?" Alfred had always called her that ever since she was a child.

Rachel gave him a hug. "Hi Alfred! How many times have I told you to call me Rachel?" She said as she released him from her grasp.

"Who is it Alfred?" Bruce said casually as he came down the massive staircase. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Rachel. She stiffened.

"Rachel?" He wondered getting over the initial shock and ran down to the front door. Before she could get a word out he grasped her in a hug.

The swift movement made her stomach churn and she knew she was going to be sick. Rachel pulled away quickly and Bruce looked worried when he saw her face. "Rachel? Are you okay?" he wondered taking her by the hand.

Rachel managed to keep the vomit down long enough to say "Is the bathroom still in the same place?" and clap a hand to her mouth to make sure she didn't vomit all over the place.

Bruce nodded worriedly. "Yeah, it is, are you-" Before he could finish his sentence Rachel was running down the hall to the bathroom.

"You go get dressed Master Bruce, I'll see to her." She vaguely heard Alfred say as she burst in the door and was down on her knees getting sick into the toilet. _Do I have to put up with this for nine months? _She thought to herself as she wretched again and again. _Nope. Already three months gone. Only have to put up with it for six months. _She amended in her mind as Rachel flushed the toilet and rinsed her mouth out with the tap water. After spitting she turned to the side and lifted up her top so she could see her stomach in the mirror. There was a noticable bump forming already, she'd just been oblivious this whole time. As she examined her abdomen she heard someone gasp behind her.

Rachel turned around quickly to see Alfred standing there, eyes fixated on her slightly-rounded stomach.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay so here's the third chapter. I'm sorry if this path isn't to some of your likings but I'm a hopeless romantic so a bit of that was a must. Hope you enjoy and please r+r!**

**Chapter 3**

"Ms Dawes I know it's none of my business but are you pregnant?" Alfred wondered too loudly for Rachel's liking. She wasn't quite sure what to do; should she admit to being pregnant or completely deny it? Even if she denied it he still was going to find out later.

"Sshh!" Rachel warned before nodding timidly. Alfred looked shocked and she knew what was coming.

"And who may I ask is the father?" She hesitated again. Should she tell the butler before she told the father? As it turns out she didn't need to. Rachel's moment of silence said everything.

"Is that the reason why you have been avoiding Master Bruce for the past three months?" he whispered obligingly.

"No." Rachel answered quickly but still in the same hushed tone. "I only found out this morning. I really don't know what to do! Should I tell him now or should I wait?" I wondered desperately hoping for some advice or guidance.

"I'm not going to begin to tell you what to do but I think you should tell him now-" Before Alfred could finish his sentence Bruce was behind him leaning up against the cream doorjam.

"Tell him what?" He wondered suspiciously with his arms folded across his broad chest. Rachel could feel her heartbeat getting faster and faster. It became so unsteady that she thought she was going to drop dead there and then. Looking from Alfred to Bruce and back to Bruce again, she knew she had to answer him.

"Nothing." Rachel lied unconvincingly and Bruce raised an eyebrow. He had known her long enough to know when she was lying.

"Nothing? Then why do you look like you'd rather be in Arkham than here right now?" That seemed like a good alternative even though she had nearly been killed by a psycho villain wannabe there nearly two years ago.

Rachel Dawes was lost for words and that didn't happen often. She shot Alfred a look that said "help me!" but she already knew he couldn't help at all.

"Okay Rach you're really scaring me now." Bruce said warily and stood upright again. "What's wrong? Is it the reason you haven't spoken to me in the last three months?"

Rachel knew she had to face up to what was happening now because this wouldn't just go away. If she lied properly and insisted nothing was wrong, how would she be able to tell him later on? He would have thought she had been purposely keeping it from him.

"Bruce," she sighed and he listened intently. "We need to talk."

"I'll just give you two some privacy." Alfred said and quickly left the bathroom. Rachel envied him so much then.

"In case you haven't noticed we're already talking. Now what's wrong?" He asked again and Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Bruce this is important. It's not something I want to tell you in your downstairs toilet!" she insisted and Bruce looked extremely worried.

"Okay.. I suppose we could move this to the kitchen." he looked even more wary now and fiddled with his shirt. I decided to lead the way.

When they were both seated at the breakfast counter, Rachel decided that it was now or never. She drew a deep breath.

"First of all," she began, "I'm sorry for ignoring you for the past few months. I was really confused about what happened between us." she still was though she tried to look as composed as possible.

"I understand. It was my fault." He admitted ashamedly. "You were upset, I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that. I'm really sorry."

Rachel shook her head. "Bruce it's not that I didn't have feelings for you, I still do but I just didn't want to succumb to those feelings."

That confused Bruce. "What? Rachel why not? I love you." he told her sincerely.

"I was trying to stop myself from getting hurt." Rachel admitted. She never considered what Bruce was feeling, that made her feel bad.

"I would never hurt you Rachel! How could you even think that?" he was horrified.

Rachel let her eyes wonder to the marble floor. "I know you wouldn't intentionally hurt me." she replied timidly.

Bruce put his hand on Rachel's chin and brought her face back up to his gaze. "Then I don't understand."

"Bruce, you're out every night fighting crime in a bat suit. You're not invincible, no matter how much you think you are. What happens when one night you don't come home? I don't think I could take the pain again." She admitted with tears in her eyes. Bruce quickly pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. Rachel was shocked to find in that moment that all her fear had disappeared. She felt... safe. Now that she was there she didn't ever want to let go. Her effort in controlling her feelings was now futile.

"I swear to you Rachel that every morning I will be at your side. I will never leave you." he vowed. "Is that what you were so nervous about?"

The moment had come. Rachel was about to tell billionaire playboy and also her best friend Bruce Wayne that he was going to be a father.

She took a deep breath again and pulled away from Bruce's grasp so she could look him in the eye. "No actually." she admitted.

"Then what?" he wondered warmly, warmer than she'd ever seen him. "Rachel you can tell me anything."

She knew that now. "Bruce, remember you mentioned the night that we spent together a few minutes ago?"

"Yes?" he replied casually not registering anything strange.

"Well," Rachel began, biting her lip as she did so, "Bruce.. I'm pregnant."


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay so we skip on a bit in this chapter so I hope there's no confusion or anything. Anyway please review! I get oddly excited when I get reviews :p**

**Chapter 4**

"We are all here tonight to celebrate the life of Harvey Dent , Gotham's true hero." Bruce began speaking to the crowd that had gathered in his penthouse that he had bought when Wayne Manor was under renovations. He preferred having parties there so no harm would come of Wayne Manor again because it seemed that during every party or event he threw, some bad guy would show up. "It's hard to believe that it's been a year since his life was unmercifully taken, so tonight with all his friends, family and colleagues, let's celebrate everything he stood for and every improvement he started. To Harvey Dent!" Bruce concluded and raised his glass. The movement was was mirrored by everyone in the vast room before they returned to their own conversations.

Rachel sighed. Thinking about Harvey's death was always very painful. It had been worse before she and Bruce had moved in together; it helped having someone to comfort her and loving Bruce had taken away some of the rawness of what happened.

Bruce could always tell when Rachel was upset, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. He put his arm around her waist and Rachel rested her head on his shoulder.

"This is a nice thing you're doing, Bruce." She forced a smile as she looked up into his eyes. They were one of Bruce's features that she loved the most. She loved the dark brown colour of them.

Bruce took a sip of his champagne. "I have to, since Batman is one of he reasons he's dead in the first place." Rachel frowned. Bruce had always felt responsible for Harvey's death.

"Bruce it's not Batman's fault! The joker wanted to prove that even the best of people could turn evil. He was going to kill Gordon's kid! Batman did the right thing." She hated seeing him torture himself for something that had to be done.

Bruce gave her a strained smile. "You're right." He said not wanting to take the topic any further and kissed Rachel's forhead.

Rachel pulled away and grinned at him. "I'm always right."

Just then they were joined by Commissioner Jim Gordon who Rachel (and Bruce, though Jim didn't know it) worked with regularly.

"You sure know how to throw a party Wayne, I'll give you that. Never do things by half do you?" Jim said referring to the incident when Bruce drove his Lambourghini out on front of a truck to stop it hitting the police car Jim was traveling in.

Bruce gave him the fake cocky smile he wore so convincingly. "Definitely not." he agreed.

He turned to Rachel. "Rachel, someone told me the other day that you handed in your resignation, is that true?"

She nodded. "I'm only going to be doing some court appearances for a while. I couldn't take the risk." she smiled putting her hand on her now noticeable baby bump.

"I think we can all agree from previous experiences." Bruce added. Rachel didn't want to quit her job, not at all, but she had to. It was Bruce who had first brought it up but he was justified; how many times had Batman had to rescue her? She couldn't put their baby's life in danger anymore.

Jim thought about it for a moment then nodded in agreement. "Yeah that's probably best although the Batman seems to have a soft spot for you." he commented and Rachel stiffened but obviously Bruce was used to playing along with things.

"As long as he doesn't make a play for my woman than we're good." Bruce joked and put his arm around me again. Jim knew that she knew who the Batman was. In his defence his claims were justified; Bruce hadn't been very discreet when it came to Batman coming to Rachel's rescue. He had adressed her by name in front of Gordon countless times.

Suddenly a gun shot rang out in the far side of the room. Rachel looked worriedly at Bruce.

He seemed worried aswell but hid it quickly. "Some day I will throw a party that is _not _crashed by some lunatic!" Bruce complained and rolled his eyes. "Excuse me Commissioner." he said and quickly disappeared to see what was going on.

Gordon looked around and decided to follow Bruce. He was, afterall, a police officer and if something was going down he was there to help. Alfred came rushing over to her. "Ms. Dawes," He began, flustered but she cut him off.

"What's happening Alfred?" I wondered starting to panic but just as Rachel said that I was picked up into someones arms. She started to fight before I realised who it was. "Bruce? What are you doing?" She half shouted as she tried to shake her way out of his firm grasp.

"Rachel keep your voice down." He warned as he brought her into the bedroom.

"What's going not until you tell me what's going on!" She knew Bruce was over protective of her since she'd gotten pregnant but this was going too far.

"It's the joker Rachel! He's looking for you!" As those words escaped Bruce's lips Rachel wished with all her heart that she hadn't found out what was going on. He used his fingerprint to open the concealed door in the bedroom and brought me into where the batsuit was hidden.

"Why? What does he want with me?" She wondered frantically as Bruce put her down and turned on the lights in the fairly empty storage room.

He put his palm up against his forehead and shut his eyes tightly. "I don't know Rachel! My heart is saying get you as far away from Gotham as possible right now but my head is saying that I can't stand by while he's out there!" That was the most uncomposed Rachel had ever seen Bruce.

"Bruce it's me he wants! Let me go out there and buy you some time! No one else will get hurt because of me!" Rachel told him and bounded for the concealed door again. Bruce caught her by the arm quickly.

"Rachel we are not having this conversation! I will not put you and the baby in danger!" She looked him in the eyes.

"Bruce, you have to let me do this. He's just gonna keep looking for me anyway! Get into the suit quickly!"

Bruce sighed in defeat. "Fine! But be careful! Don't get yourself thrown out the window again! I'll be out in two minutes!" he warned and sped off.

Rachel looked though the peephole to see if there was anyone there before she scanned her finger print and the door quickly opened.

As she walked back into the main hall, Rachel had never been so scared in her life. Why on earth was she willingly going to face a psycho? How messed up was she? She appeased herself that Bruce would come to her rescue soon, at least that's what she hoped. Everyone eyed her with shock as she re-entered the room. They must have all thought she was a mad woman.

"Where is Rachel Dawes?" The joker demanded with his back to her. He was by far the freakiest person she'd ever seen. He was dressed in his usual psychothic clown attire.

Rachel composed herself so that she sounded confident. "I'm here." she replied firmly and he turned around. Seeing the smeared face paint again made her shudder at the memories.

He smiled weirdly. Then again, everything about him was weird. "My, my, Ms Dawes- or can I call you Rachel? You're looking stunning as ever." He told her as he inched towards her.

"I wish I could say the same about you." Rachel commented smartly and fliched as he took her by the wrist.

The Joker chuckled. "It's nice to see that you're as feisty as ever. How's this.. _celebration _going? Huh? I doubt you'd be celebrating his life if you knew what Harvey Dent did."

She grimaced. "Oh I already know." Rachel would never give him the satisfaction.

"I'm not surprised but I doubt everyone else knows that it was in fact Harvey Dent, and not the Batman, that killed those two cops and three other people." He said loudly so everyone could here. Everyone looked shocked but were too afraid to say anything.

Rachel had enough. "What do you want?" She spat coldly.

"Why so hostile?" The Joker wondered in his mocking tone. "Where's pretty boy, huh? It's funny how he always seems to disappear at times like this."

That threw her a bit. "He was called in to work, there was a problem." Lying had _never _been Rachel's strong point.

The Joker scoffed. "Please! I bet he never lifts a finger in "Wayne Enterprises"! In a way you should be thanking me."

Rachel couldn't wait to hear his reasoning for that. "And why would that be?" she wondered boldly.

He chuckled intimidatingly. "Well, if I hadn't driven Dent to the brink of insanity you would have never got your playboy billionaire. And that baby." The Joker added while pointing to my baby bump. Rachel had had enough of his games.

"Okay this whole act is getting old, so why don't you just tell me what you want." She demanded.

"You see, sitting in that cell in jail, I realised that since I'm not going to be around to mess with him anymore, I actually do want to find out who the Batman is and I want to share it with the world." He said that as if he was a man with simple wishes.

"And you want me to help you with that?" If she was going to continue being with Bruce, she would have to get better at playing indiferrent.

The Joker shook his head and smiled wryly. "I figure you do know, because you seem to be at the centre of everything. The common denominator if you will." He started circling her and before Rachel knew what he was doing, he had his arms locked around her with a knife pressed against her throat. _Damnit! _Rachel thought. _How could I be so stupid?_ The Joker had obviously figured it out.

"Let her go!" Rachel was never more relieved and scared to hear Batman's voice. The Joker spun her around so she could see Bruce.

"We had this conversation before, take off your mask and show us all who you are and then I'll let her go." They had reached an impasse.

Rachel could tell that Bruce was considering it. "No! Don't!" What would things be like if everyone found out that Bruce was Batman? He'd be arrested and she would have to raise their baby on their own. No matter how much money she had, Rachel would hate to do it.

The Joker tightened his grip. "Sshh, you're not in a position to be making any requests princess." One of his gunmen broke the window and Rachel had a very bad sense of dé ja vu. Things were going to end badly, she could tell. She felt her self being pulled closer and closer to the edge. Bruce had told her to stay away from the windows. Rachel saw Bruce stiffen.

"Take one step closer and I drop her." The Joker warned Batman and Bruce didn't know what to do.

What he did know though is he had to act one way or another and he took that step forward. The Joker quickly let go of Rachel's hand and she began to slide.


End file.
